Thank you for the question about Judah’s staff, “Why would Tamar ask for the staff of Judah? What was the significance of it?
In Genesis 39, Jacob promises Tamar that the youngest son will be her husband’s kinsman redeemer. After Judah’s wife died, Tamar felt that Judah wasn’t going to keep his word so she took the situation into her own hands by playing the role of a prostitute. When Judah met the “woman”, she asked a payment for being intimate with her. Judah promised a sheep and the “woman” asked something for a pledge. Judah give her his seal with its cord and the staff in your hand.
Each shepherd would be familiar with his staff. This staff was with Judah since he was a young boy. His hand print and marking was on it. He could recognize it among a hundred staff. It was unique to him and to every shepherd. The staff was used to correct sheep that went astray or to pull them up if they were caught in a difficult place. Each of Jacob’s children had their own staff. Judah had his own staff for he had a herd of sheep and goats.
The staff also represented the person. Judah was the head of his household and his possession. The staff represented Judah. Judah took it with him wherever he went. Tamar knew that Judah would not depart with his staff lightly. It meant everything to him and he would do almost anything to retrieve it. Later on when Tamar presented the seal, cord, and staff to Judah, he recognized that it was his and then it dawned on him that he was intimate with his daughter-in-law, Tamar.
Numbers 17 when the 12 tribes leaders grumbled against Moses and Aaron in their role as leaders. God used the staff to show whom he has chosen to lead the Israelites. “The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.” 6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law. 8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). The writing of the names of each tribe on their own staff was to make it incontrovertible as whose staff is whom.
SUMMARY: The staff represented the man himself as well as his position and pride as a shepherd. The man was known by his staff. It was more than just a walking stick. It represented everything of himself.
For more perspectives:
https://www.quora.com/Why-would-Tamar-ask-for-the-staff-of-Judah-What-was-the-significance-of-it